y as
it was his home ward, Morty noticed that while the Judge sat grand and
austere in the aisle seat with his eyes partly closed as one who is
recovering from a great mental effort, his half-closed eyes were
following Mr. Joseph Calvin, who was buzzing about the room distributing
among the delegates meal tickets and saloon checks good for food for man
and beast at the various establishments of public entertainment.

Morty learned from George Brotherton that as the county officers were to
be renominated without opposition, and as the platform had been agreed
to the day before, and as the county central committeemen had been
chosen the night before at the caucuses, the convention was to be a
short horse soon curried. Of course, Captain Morton as permanent
chairman made a speech--with suitable eulogies to the boys who wore the
blue. It was the speech the convention had heard many times before, but
always enjoyed--and as he closed he asked rather grandly, "and now what
is the further pleasure of the convention?"

It was Mr. Calvin's pleasure, as expressed in a motion, that the
secretary be instructed to cast the vote of the convention for the
renomination of the entire county ticket, and further that Senator James
Nesbit, in view of his leadership of the party in the State, be
requested to name the delegates to the State and congressional
conventions and that Judge Thomas Van Dorn--cheers led by Dick
Bowman--Thomas Van Dorn be requested to name the delegates to the
judicial district convention. Cheers and many cries of no, no, no,
greeted the Calvin motion. It was seconded and stated by the chair and
again cheered and roared at. Dr. Nesbit rose, and in his mild, treble
voice protested against the naming of the delegates to the State and
congressional and judicial conventions. He said that while it had been
the practice in the past, he was of the opinion that the time had come
to let the Convention itself choose by wards and precincts and townships
its delegates to these conventions. He said further that as for the
State and congressional delegates, they couldn't pick a delegation of
twenty men in the room if they tried, that would not contain a majority
which he could work with. At which there was cheering from the anti-Van
Dorn crowd--but it was clear that they were in the minority. No further
discussion seemed to be expected and the Captain was about to put the
motion, when from among the delegates from South Harvey the